Lehman sets-up sovereign role

US investment bank Lehman Brothers has appointed Makram Azar to the newly created role of global head of sovereign wealth funds. He is currently head of consumer, retail and media for Europe, Middle East and Africa.

Based in Dubai, he will report to Jeremy Isaacs, chief executive officer for Europe, Middle East and Asia-Pacific, Steve Lessing, global head of senior relationship management, and Jasjit Bhattal, chief executive officer for Asia-Pacific.

Isaacs said: “Sovereign wealth funds have become an increasingly important force in today’s international markets, and I am excited about the opportunity this appointment creates for us to further develop our relationships with these clients. Makram brings a wealth of experience to this role including strategic advisory strength and a great record of building relationships and executing transactions for our clients.”